Marvel is apparently producing its most whimsical film ever: the company announced today that Thor Ragnarok will be scored by former Devo frontman and Wes Anderson sonic darling Mark Mothersbaugh.
Thor: Ragnarok has been sneakily reshaping itself as a project wildly different than both the first Thor film and its sequel, Thor: Darkworld. First, producers hire indie-dreamboat Taika Waititi of What We Do In the Shadows fame to helm the project. Now, there are reports that Mark Mothersbaugh has joined as the film’s composer. Aside from leading art-punk band Devo, Mothersbaugh also composed the soundtrack for several of Wes Anderson’s films including Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
Mothersbaugh’s involvement in Ragnarok is surprising only because listening to his film soundtracks, one doesn’t immediately think “superhero fantasy”. His work with Wes Anderson, in particular, demonstrate his baroque sensibilities, tailored to whichever project he’s working on. For Tenenbaums Mothersbaugh crafts sweeping orchestral compositions. In Life Aquatic, synth-y pop-punk dance tracks. One can only imagine what Mothersbaugh will compose for a project like Thor: Ragnarok, especially partnered with a director equally whimsical and unique as Taika Waititi.
Marvel films aren’t particularly well known for their soundtracks, especially since DC films have house composer Hans Zimmer working alongside talents like Junkie XL. Mothersbaugh isn’t just a competitive choice for Marvel, but frankly an inspired one.
